He must have
recognized the Pavannes badge at that distance. "M. le Vidame,"
I said indignantly--Catherine was white and voiceless--"M. le
Vidame--" but there I stopped and faltered stammering. For
behind him I could see Croisette; and Croisette gave me no sign
of encouragement or support.
So we stood face to face for a moment; the boy and the man of the
world, the stripling and the ROUE. Then the Vidame bowed to me
in quite a new fashion. "M. Anne de Caylus desires to answer for
M. de Pavannes?" he asked smoothly; with a mocking smoothness.
I understood what he meant. But something prompted me--Croisette
said afterwards that it was a happy thought, though now I know
the crisis to have been less serious than he fancied to answer,
"Nay, not for M. de Pavannes. Rather for my cousin." And I
bowed. "I have the honour on her behalf to acknowledge your
congratulations, M. le Vidame. It pleases her that our nearest
neighbour should also be the first outside the family to wish her
well. You have divined truly in supposing that she will shortly
be united to M.
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